Documentation
Everything Lamp Bible can do, and how the pieces fit together.
Where to start
If you have just installed the app, read Getting started — it covers choosing a translation and gives you a tour of the home screen. If you want to understand how Lamp Bible is built, start with The module system: almost every other feature is a consequence of that one design decision.
The short version
Lamp Bible is an offline Bible reader for close study. Its audited replacement library uses translations under documented public-domain and open distribution terms, a set of lexicons and a full cross-reference apparatus; the terms for each are on the Content licences page. On top of that you write your own notes, devotionals and highlights.
All of it — the content that ships with the app and the content you create — is stored in the same module format. There is no account, no server that belongs to us, and no telemetry. You choose whether your work stays on the device, syncs through iCloud Drive, or syncs to a WebDAV server you run.
Start here
Reading
The reader
Translations, Strong’s numbers, the tool panel, cross-references, read aloud and navigation.
Reading plans
Daily plans, progress, reminders, reading-time estimates, quizzes and the widget.
Search
Full-text search across every module, with filters for module, tag and colour.
Books
Long-form studies and reference works, with contents, footnotes and live references.
Lexicons
Strong’s, BDB and Dodson lookups from any tagged word, and how to order them.
Your own work
Data & modules
The module system
Everything in the app is a module. What that means and how to manage them.
Importing a Bible
Turn a USFM, OSIS, Zefania or SWORD Bible you own into a translation module.
Authoring modules
JSON schemas, verse reference encoding and the annotation model.
Building a .lamp file
Turn module JSON into a compressed SQLite package the app will install.
Downloads
Sample modules of every type, JSON schemas, and SQLite table definitions.
Import & export
Markdown round-trips for notes and devotionals, and where to find them.
Sync & backup
Local-only, iCloud Drive, or your own WebDAV server. What syncs, conflicts and upgrading.